Development of a dot-ELISA for detection of leprosy antigenuria under field conditions

Abstract

A dot-ELISA using nitrocellulose paper as the support has been developed to detect phenolic glycolipid-1 under field conditions. Urine from healthy individuals and from those diagnosed as having leprosy was concentrated 100 times using a combination of ultrafiltration and lyophilization. 100 μl aliquots were treated with 5% TCA, or extracted with chloroform/methanol (2:1), or directly applied to the nitrocellulose filter. The antigen was detected using a mouse monoclonal antibody. PGL-1 was most easily detected in the urine of lepromatous leprosy patients following extraction with chloroform/methanol. PGL-1 was detected in patients' urine for up to 2 months after the onset of multidrug therapy.